Discernment: Taking shots at primary opponents because they did not attend rally and over 18 year old comment disingenuous to the truth and goal to nominate candidate who can win in November
COMMENTARY: James Marter’s news release recently on Right to Life, which was published on Monday here on McHenry County Blog betrays insincerity to the truth and teachings of Scripture.
By chastising four of his opponents for not attending the Chicago March for Life on Saturday, January 11, Marter transformed his own participation from an act of selflessness and humility, into an act of selfish and prideful politics.
First, while openly calling out opponents Jim Oberweis, Sue Rezin, Ted Gradel and Catalina Lauf by name for not participating in the March for Life, he left out that opponent Jerry Evans was in Chicago that Saturday.
So he told a half-truth, which is a lie itself.
So let’s see what Ted Gradel, one of the candidates called out by Marter for his absence on the 11th, was doing during the March for Life:
Ted Gradel was serving the community, by helping people less fortunate than us who struggle to live a life, with a glimmer of fun and hopefulness.
All of us are an auto accident away from being a patient at Marklund or similar facilities.
One final note, Gradel served Marklund through his membership with Aurora/Fox Valley Notre Dame Club, not his congressional campaign.
And if anyone needs a refresher on Gradel’s stance on life, please click here for his passionate testimony about being adopted at birth, a genuine act of love that saved his life.
There is no doubt where Ted Gradel stands on Right to Life, even if he doesn’t attend a rally in Chicago.
Once again, Marter takes a cheap shot at Jim Oberweis with another half-truth, saying:
“… During a previous campaign, State Senator Oberweis infamously equated pro-lifers to the Taliban, apologizing only when threatened with an opposing ad campaign from the Catholic League.”
James Marter, 1/14/20 press release, emphasis added
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That “previous campaign” was the 2002 U.S. Senate primary 18 years ago which Marter failed to identify, and the Taliban reference was said in 2001 about a month after the 9-11 attacks on our country that year, making the ill-chosen words even more ill-chosen.
Oberweis was called out, Oberweis did the right thing and confessed and apologized, and repented.
The Scriptures I read teaches us to confront sin, let the sinner confess and repent and he’s forgiven before God and man. Oberweis clearly did that.
And two months ago, Oberweis earned the only pro-life organization’s endorsement to-date in the 14th district race in the 2020 primary campaign for Congress. Oberweis was endorsed by the Lake County Life PAC, the political arm of Lake County Right to Life.
As for the weak linkage of both Oberweis and Sue Rezin to agreement with Governor Rauner’s policies in spite of Oberweis’ and Rezin’s voting records, that was exposed for the stretch of the truth it was when he said this last summer, and Marter still has not learned his lesson.
Relevant links are here:
- Taliban comment: http://159.89.184.83/2020/01/03/il-14-james-marter-pulls-out-18-year-old-attack-on-jim-oberweis-on-abortion
- Linking Oberweis & Rezin with Rauner: http://159.89.184.83/2019/09/01/il-14-applying-discernment-to-james-marter-campaigns-facebook-meme-8-30-19
And last, Marter turns upon Catalina Lauf in a two-pronged attack, the first one questioning her absence from the rally.
On that Saturday, Lauf participated on the Black & Right radio show as a phone-in guest.
She was also asked about where she stood on Right to Life, and she responded.
Readers can look at this article to hear what she said towards the end of the 8 1/2 minute interview.
But readers should also see what was written in the last portion of the article as it ties into Marter’s other description about Lauf concerning her work with Citizens for Rauner in 2018.
“Fear, waffling and flip-flopping go hand in hand, when you don’t have a firm grasp of what you stand for.
“It’s really a sign that your positions are for sale. Mine aren’t.”
James Marter 1/14/20 Press Release
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As said in last Thursday’s article, Lauf, as recently as the interview with her in The Resurgent, Lauf does attempt to gloss over her 10 months working for Citizens for Rauner in both the primary and the general election.
While Lauf does need to explain the apparent incongruity of what she stated on the radio interview on January 11 with her employment for 10 months with Citizens for Rauner in both the primary and general election of 2018, everyone who lived through their 20s know those are formative years and she turned 25 nearly halfway through her employment with Citizens for Rauner.
But when Marter starts asking a “firm grasp”, the discernment begins with wondering of the 57 year old Marter when he was Lauf’s age of 26 1/2 in 1989, what was he doing for the Right to Life cause back then?
Look at Oberweis and having to be set straight after his Taliban comment of 18 years ago. Oberweis was 55 when that happened, so even though one’s mid 50s aren’t considered the “formative years”, we continue to grow in wisdom throughout our lives, as Oberweis did then.
Given the trend for new members of Congress is for men and women to be closer to Lauf’s age opposed to Marter’s, Republican primary voters are reminded to know what they are looking for in their eventual nominee.
Primary voters can see through this “purity test” Marter attempts to put on the four candidates recognized by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) “On the Radar” candidates as simply a desperate attempt to cast aspersions on his four better funded rivals who have resonated with voters more effectively than he has in 2020.
Or voters can also remember if their goal is to nominate the best candidate for Congress who has the best chance to unseat Congresswoman Underwood, will likely take less than perfection to any ideological litmus test, and remembering that no one is perfect.
This voter prefers a candidate who’s more consistent telling the whole truth opposed to perfection on any ideological litmus test while showing their commitment to a cause like the March for Life with humility and selflessness, not selfishness and pride.
That’s why I’m voting for Mr. Marter.
He doesn’t wuss out like his opponents.
Good Guy Greg, meet Good Guy Ted.
Cal Skinner… Shane on you for letting Lopez destroy your blog.
Marter I guarantee is the ONLY catholic in this race who prays at abortion clinics.
Why?
Because he truly cares about the baby Holocaust and his beliefs in human life are not just a campaign talking point like Oberweis who in fact called ProLife candidates Taliban.
He said it!
Voters should know oberweis is a fraud.
Oberweis Gabe Durbin a big win last cycle. And if he’s the nominee… the communist Underwood will win again.
Why?
Nobody likes Oberweis.
His time past.
I am going to skip right over you, Lopez, and speak directly to your boss Cal Skinner.
Cal, I and many others do not understand why you have given your blog over to Jon to corrode with his intense passionate advocacy of Catalina Lauf, his constant conflating of politics and faith where it’s unwarranted, and his not so subtle hints that those who oppose Lauf so so out of “ fear” – a clever allusion to xenophobia.
Don’t you ever read his posts and question if these are the roads you want to travel on?
Of course, Lopez will respond to my comment in his usual, ad hominem attack dog style, so I’m not expecting anything from him.
But from you?
I still hold out hope.
I do not screen John’s posts.
You are welcome to support your candidate.
Former Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Kash Jackson likes Catalina Lauf more than Nevins and Prestia do.
https://twitter.com/KashJackson2018/status/1219653307804708864
@ Cal:
“I do not screen John’s posts.”
Yes we see, and the consensus opinion is that it’s destroying your life’s work.
Many of us know how hard you fought to keep this blog legitimate why destroy it now?
Catalina Lauf does not have enough “SIGNIFICANT LIFE EXPERIENCE” to be a Congressman!
Lopez isn’t destroying the blog. Linda Prestia makes sense to me about Marter. Moo Boy lost me long ago.
Lauf ain’t the future.
John Lopez is an impressive writer with THE ONLY coverage of this primary in the media.
Period.
And it is thoughtful coverage at that.
Marter is a self-righteous, shameless self-agrandizer and was called out for it.
He has no monopoly on pro-life commitment and he has proven that from school board to US Senate that he can’t win.
That said, I respectfully disagree with Lopez about his latest comments about Lauf and her disingenuous comments on her working for Rauner against Ives in the primary.
Lopez seemed to say well, Lauf turned 25 during that campaign and it was during her “formative years.”
Excuse me it was TWO years ago.
ONLY TWO years ago.
That would mean Catalina Lauf is still in her irresponsible or uncertain or misguided “formative years” and not up to being a Congresswoman.
C’mon it’s not like she worked for Rauner 10 or 20 years ago when she was “young and dumb” as the old saying goes.
Her portrayal of her being a conservative crusader is a demonstrated fib based on what she did in the immediate past election only two years ago.
She gets no break for excusing her behavior only two years ago.
Lauf is not only to young, I questioned her candidacy when I saw she had a Fundraiser in DC – Just who is backing this girl?
How does one apply real life experiences when one has not even made a house payment yet?
When circulating petitions for the 14th, there was not a lot of love out there for Oberweis, in fact I had two gentlemen who said they told Mr. O to his face not to run but to retire.
Every name I mentioned who was running, most were not known (and to be honest, the only one I did not mention was Lauf because of this DC connection – we have had enough of those kinds of people in my opinion).
Marter’s name was recognized the most after Oerweis.
That could be because he has been out there a few years now, getting his feet wet politically because you see he is just like other people who are fed up with the lies and dirty tactics of the Politically connected, who use hit pieces like this.
Thanks to the Progressive/Democrats people are becoming more aware of tactics such as this that is used to try and bring someone down that they do not approve of.
SAD!
“when one has not even made a house payment yet?”
You’ve convinced me Lauf just may be the smartest person in Illinois.
Ms. Trumpion and Sheila, thank you for the props.
Sheila, I don’t mind a difference of opinion. Please take it with full context, especially the part of the article where I said:
“While Lauf does need to explain the apparent incongruity of what she stated on the radio interview on January 11 with her employment for 10 months with Citizens for Rauner in both the primary and general election of 2018…”
Made a similar point in a recent article, that Lauf needs to explain her Citizens for Rauner employment, and she can’t ignore it and pretend it never happened. I also noted the recent interview in The Resurgent like her bio, skips her time with Citizens for Rauner.
I have my own questions, and that is why the lies people say that I’m supporting Lauf’s candidate are what they are, lies.
J. Fanizza, what and when and with whom was this Catalina Lauf fundraiser in DC? We know Jim Oberweis had at least one fundraiser in DC in October, and Sue Rezin and James Marter have visited DC in 2019, but don’t know of any fundraisers.
That doesn’t mean these fundraisers don’t happen, just haven’t heard of one.
I have gotten the same reaction about Oberweis, along the lines of “…he’s still around?” I’ve said publicly in many different forums for months that I firmly do not believe Oberweis can beat Underwood in a general. The age difference alone will doom him, being 40 years older and in mid-70s.
But there are many establishment types, and political consultants who’ve been doing consulting for decades, who believe Oberweis’ name ID will carry the day in the primary, and the early TV ad buy will drive that home. Some of these consultants, and the news media, have called out Oberweis’ campaign, and Oberweis himself, for his overconfidence.
We’ll see.
As for Marter name ID, Marter ran statewide four years ago, but his congressional bid in 2018 was in a different congressional district, the 16th.
Finally, as I’ve said throughout the fall, let’s let the vetting work.
Tonight’s debate at MCC should show, or at least begin to show, which candidates are serious and qualified, and which ones are just on the ballot.
Tonight we will begin to learn, and hopefully, the questions are not softball, and let’s all hope the topic of impeachment is left to the Senate trial.
Questions about impeachment tonight will be a waste of time.
Oberweis equated pro-lifers to the Taliban?!?!?!?
WTH?
That’s the most hateful thing I’ve ever heard someone say about people who defend the rights of our most vulnerable.
Marter walks the walk and he knows who the politicians are that just say their Pro-Life at election time without backing it up. Hoping the best of these candidates unseats radical Underwood!
They’re
I’d vote for dairy boy O.
But only if he gets the nomination.
And that would be because he’s the lesser evil and would help turn the House.
I’m voting for Marter in Round One.
And Lopez isn’t the problem.
Soros money flooding into Illinois is.
Lopez is ok, but Cal needs more editors.
Yes for Marter!
No to Rezin!!!
John Lopez, I agree that from time to time we can respectfully disagree.
I do note for the record, while others have accused you of supporting Catalina Lauf I never ever have and was not in my comments above.
I simply had a disagreement about one part of your comments on her and that was that in my humble opinion you seemed to excuse Lauf’s behavior of working for Rauner because it was in “her formative years.”
I simply wanted to stress for the readers that that was not like 10 or 20 years ago–it was two years ago.
That’s the extent of my post.
You have been fair to all the Republican candidates.
Maybe too fair to Gradel considering his scandal that caused three women to go blind, but very fair and very thorough.
One more point is that everything you have written about this congressional primary has been backed up by substantiated facts.
Well, except my point that what was implied as Lauf’s “formative years” was a mere two years ago 🙂
Sorry, I couldn’t resist.